Title: HandsAuthor: Grasshopper (A.K.A. The Undertaker's Muse)Rated: PG-13Warnings: Yaoi; very, very slight citrus, I suppose.Fandom: Gundam SEEDSpoilers: Um...some vague stuff around episode 40-ish, I think. But nothing too specific, really.Pairings: Athrun Zala x Kira YamatoSummary: Our hands will always be joined...Author's Notes: This is dedicated to all of the lovely people who reviewed "Protectress." Not that this is connected, really, but since a few people requested I write Asukira... Well, here you go!Disclaimer: All things Gundam SEED belong to Sunrise and Bandai Entertainment. The lyrics are from "Realize" by Tamaki Nami; so is the summary, though it is from the English translation. All that the Grassy owns around here is the plot.

Zutto futari kono te tsunagezu ni
Umarete kita imi wo sagashiteta

(Our hands will always be joined
As we search for the reason we exist)

"Realize" - Tamaki Nami

Kira's POV

It's so...strange...to be touching him again. To cradle his hand in mine, fingers curling together in a sign of mutual affection...and mutual possession. With not a single worry that our parents will object, we can hold hands and compare them now to what they once were.

He has more calluses now; so do I, for that matter, but... The calluses on my own hands don't fascinate me. Or thrill me. Or inspire any feeling in me, really. I do a lot of hands-on work, so I have rough hands. No big deal. Athrun's hands, however, are the ones that run over my bare skin at night. A number of times during the day, too, whether it's just a brief caress upon my bare forearm or the more intimate contact provided by a fervent encounter in a deserted room.

The brush of his knuckles across my lower lip leaves me with a gasp...

The slide of his fingertips down the slope of my spine sends a shiver through my body...

The pressure of his palms upon my inner thighs forces a low moan to escape my throat...

The possessive grip of his hands, one upon each hip, coaxes a delighted smirk to cross my lips...

Every part of my body is awakened, brought to a new level of sensitivity, by Athrun's hands. The hands I placed my trust into, as well as my heart, all those years ago. All of my hopes and dreams were cradled within his skilled fingers once more in the aftermath of our reconciliation, for I have never been able to deny him any part of myself. Not unless others are in danger as a result. But that's just who I am and he's who I have always needed, ever since our first meeting when we were children.

And so, with that part of myself back where it belongs, I enjoy the light brush of his fingertips against my own as we wind down after the intensity of a fierce battle. Pushing aside the adrenaline rush and subsequent energy drain, I just keep my mind focused upon the heat of Athrun's body at my side and the feel of his strong hand in mine.